Beet-harvester.



H. W. GOODE & W. H. BAILEY.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6, 1012.

1,099,643. Patented June 9, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES H. W. GOODE & W. H BAILEY. BBBT HARVESTER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6, 1912.

1 U99 43m Patented June 9, 191% 4 SHEETSSHEET 2 H. W. GOODE & W. H. DAILEY. BBBT HABVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.6,1912.

W1T/VESSES Patented June 9,1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

H. W. GOODE & W. H. BAILEY.

BEET HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1912.

Patented June 9, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

IVITNESSES 5 [NVEN T0135 W v H144 500416 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY W. GOODE AND WILLIAM H. BAILEY, OF VAN WERT, OHIO.

BEET-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 191 4.

Application filed November 6, 1912. Serial Ito. 729,830.

Z '0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY 1V. (looms and \VILMAM H. Danny, citizens of the United States, residing at Van \Vert, in the county of Van Wert and State of Ohio, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to beet harvesters and has for its object the production of a simple and eilicient beet harvester which consists of the minimum number of parts and which will ellicicntly top the beets prior to lifting the same from the ground.

Another object of this invention is the production of an eflicient beet harvester and topping machine which willautomatically adjust itself to the different height beet tops in order to cut the tops from the beets just above the body of the beet.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will he hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the beet topper and lifting machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view'of the machine as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line G6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the guide or gage shoe. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the bracket for supporting the front end of the guide or gage. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of the connecting link for the guide or gage and the cutting disk. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the cutting disk.

By referring to the drawings by numerals it will be seen that 1 designates the main frame of the machine which is supported by wheels 2 engaging the axle 3. A hanger 4 is suspended from the tongue 5 of the machine.

A bracket/19 is suspended from the tongue 5 in front of the hanger 4. and to the lower end of this bracket 19 is secured the gage or guiding shoe 20. This guiding shoe 20 comprises a body portion 21 formed of a substantially channel portion having side flanges 22. The rear end of this body portion 21 is cut out to form a substantially semi-circular notch 23 to. allow the free operation of the cutting disk 24: to be hereinafter described. The forward end of the body 21 tapers as indicated at 25 and has its side edges bent up to constitute the flanges 26 which flanges form shields for preventing the tops of the boots from beeomingentangled with the front end of the shoe. A rib 27 passes longitudinally of the body portion 21 of the shoe 20 and has its upper end bent to constitute an elongated link 28 through which passes the connecting bolt 29 carried by the lower end of the bracket 19. AI connecting link 29 has its forward end resting adjacent the forward end of the rib 27 as illustrated clearly in Fig. 3 and this connecting link is firmly held in engagement with the guiding or gage shoe 20, by means of a vertically extending bolt 30 which bolt has its lower end passing through the bulged portion 31 formed in the rib 27. Lock nuts 32 are threaded upon the upper end of the bolt 30 upon opposite sides of the link 29 as illustrated 1n Fig. 3 so as to hold the link in an adjusted position relative to the guiding 0r gage shoe 20. It should be understood that by the use of these nuts 32 the link 29 may be adjusted relative to the shoe 20.

A supporting bracket 33 is suspended from the frame 1 and across this supporting bracket 33 passes a journal bracket 34 having a projecting foot 35 through which prodicated in Fig. 3 and carries a gear 37 near its upper end. This gear 37 is keyed to the shaft 36 in such a manner as to allow the shaft 36 to have vertical movement relative to the gear 37 and still allow the gear 37 to impart rotary movement to the shaft when the gear 37 is operated. A cutting disk 24 is carried by the lower end of the shaft 36 as is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. and this shaft 36 is positioned at such an angle as to allow the edge of the cutting disk 24.- to cut the tops from the boots off squarely and not at an angle, and it will be seen by carefully considering Fig. 3 that this is accomplished by having the lower edge of the disk extending parallel to the surface of the ground. A cleaning finger or bar 38 is caroff by means of the cleaning finger or bar 38 as the same rotates. In this manner the cutting disk 24 will be kept clean or free from the beet tops and the beet tops will be thrown to one side of the row of beets.

. tween the upper edge of the sleeve 39 and the nut 40. r

From the foregoing description it will be seen that as the gage or guiding shoe 20 passes over the beets the same will be able to yield upwardly especially where the stalks have grown to a considerable height. and it is desired to cut the'beet higher than under ordinary circumstances. As the shoe 20 is forced upwardly the cutting disk 24 will also be raised through the medium of the link 29, and this movement is possible owing to the fact that the shaft 36 is keyed to the gear 37 by means of the key 42 in order to have a vertical sliding movement as above described. This gear 37 is driven by means of a gear 43 which gear is carried by a shaft 44 and this shaft 44 carries a sprocket wheel 45 at its opposite end which sprocket wheel is driven by means of a sprocket chain 46 passing over the main driving sprocket gear 47 carried by the axle 3. This shaft 44 is supported by the usual bearing brackets 48. A standard 49 is carried by the frame 1 of the beet lifter and topper and this standard 49 supports a lifting lever 50 which is pivotally mounted thereon. This lifting lever 50 engages the upper end of the shaft 36 and is held in engagement therewith by means of the bolt 51. By means ofthis lever it will be seen that the disk 24 may be drawn to an inoperative position thereby preventing the disk from cutting into the ground and dulling the edge thereof while the machine is being turned or while it is not desired to cut the tops from the .beets. The lever 50 is provided with a forwardly extending end 52 which rests upon the tongue 5 of the machine and constitutes a yieldable support for the upper end of the shaft 36.

A clevis 87 is connected to the hanger 4 as illustrated in Fig. 3 'and to this clevis I 87 may be connected the draft means for pullingthe machine forward. Owing to the extreme simplicity of the present device it should be understood that the entire machine may be easily drawn across a field by an ordinary two-horse team thereby greatly reducing the labor ordinarily involved in topping, digging, and cleaning the beets which is very often done by hand.

The complete operation of the machine is as follows: As the machine'moves forward the gage orguiding shoe 20 will engage the tops of the beets and force the same downwardly as indicated in Fig. 3 whereupon the disk 24 will sever the tops of the beets from the body of the beets, the tops of'the beets being at the same time deposited upon the disk 24, and as this disk 24 revolves the member 38 will kick the tops of the beets off to one side of the machine and out of the rowof beets. The beetlifting shoe which travels directly in the rear of the cutting disk 24 will then raise the body of the beets.

Of course, it should be understood that this invention may be modified in its details or mechanical construction without departing from the spirit of the invention so as to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a beet topping machine the combi- .nation with a frame, a bracket suspended from said frame, of ashoe pivotally connected to said bracket and comprlslng abody having flanged sides, shield flanges.

formed adjacent the upper end of said shoe, a reinforcing rib extending longitudinally of said shoe and terminating in an elongated link at its upper end, a cutting disk suspended from said frame -and capable of vertical movement relative thereto, and a connecting link secured to said shoe and .engaging said cutting disk for raising and lowering said cutting disk as said shoe is raised and lowered.

2. In a beat topping machine the combination with a frame, of a gage shoe suspended therefrom and capable of having an upwardly swinging movement relative to.

said frame, said gage shoe comprising a body provided with a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib, a bulged portion formed intermediate the ends of said rib, a supporting bolt passing through said bulged portion, a cutting member associated with said shoe, a. link secured to said bolt and engaging said cutting member and having its forward end resting in engagementwith said shoe whereby said cutting member will be raised as said shoe is raised.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

JENNIE WILKINSON, CLEM. V. Hon. 

